I was drawn to creating beetle collages out of Victorian houses because the bug’s trademark exoskeleton gives it a rigidity and permanence that reminds me of the consistency of historic building facades through time. I then made a series of digital collages based off different beetle’s silhouettes, using turrets for spindly limbs and gables for encasing bodies. This series is ongoing, with more pieces added and expanded on over time. On further reflection of the qualities of beetles, I began to play with the color pallets of my new pet bugs, giving them a unique sheen and visual texture more similar to their real counterparts.
